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Lobbying at the EU

Who lobbies the European Union?

398 organisations with their headquarters in Austria are in the European transparency register. They try to influence European laws and decisions. Since December 2024 they have had 400 meetings with the European Commission between them.

What is lobbying? (click to read)
  • Lobbying means trying to influence the decisions of politicians and civil servants: through conversations, studies, letters or events. This is allowed and is done by companies, but also by trade unions, environmental organisations and cities.
  • Anyone who wants to meet the European Commission or the European Parliament must be in the transparency register and state how much money and how many people are spent on it.
  • The amounts are reported by the organisations themselves, in ranges (e.g. "between 1 and 1.25 million euros"). Nobody checks them all.
  • A European federation with its headquarters in Brussels often represents companies from all over Europe. That is why there are so many organisations in Belgium.
  • We do not show self-employed individuals (people).

Organisations

398

Reported lobbying costs per year

€ 22.6 million – € 33.8 million

Of 257 companies, federations and trade unions that report this.

Access badges for the European Parliament

79

Lobbyists who can walk in freely.

Who are they?

  • NGOs and citizens’ organisations 128
  • Companies 113
  • Trade and professional federations 54
  • Think tanks and research institutions 30
  • Other organisations and public institutions 23
  • Consultancies 16
  • Universities and colleges 12
  • Trade unions and professional associations 11
  • Associations of public authorities (e.g. cities and regions) 9
  • Churches and religious or philosophical communities 1
  • Law firms 1

Biggest lobbying budgets

What they report themselves for lobbying work at the EU, per year.

  1. Wirtschaftskammer Österreich Other organisations and public institutions € 2.8 million – € 3 million
  2. voestalpine AG Companies € 800,000 – € 900,000
  3. European Law Institute NGOs and citizens’ organisations € 800,000 – € 900,000
  4. Borealis GmbH Companies € 600,000 – € 700,000
  5. Handelsverband Trade and professional federations € 600,000 – € 700,000
  6. Vereinigung der österreichischen Industrie - Industriellenvereinigung Trade and professional federations € 500,000 – € 600,000
  7. Bundesarbeitskammer Österreich Trade unions and professional associations € 500,000 – € 600,000
  8. Österreichischer Sparkassenverband Trade and professional federations € 500,000 – € 600,000
  9. Österreichs E-Wirtschaft Trade and professional federations € 500,000 – € 600,000
  10. Raiffeisen Bank International AG Companies € 400,000 – € 500,000

Most meetings with the European Commission

With commissioners, their private offices or directors-general, since December 2024.

  1. Wirtschaftskammer Österreich Other organisations and public institutions 37 meetings
  2. Landwirtschaftskammer Österreich Other organisations and public institutions 21 meetings
  3. voestalpine AG Companies 19 meetings
  4. Vereinigung der österreichischen Industrie - Industriellenvereinigung Trade and professional federations 18 meetings
  5. WIENER STADTWERKE GmbH Companies 11 meetings
  6. VIER PFOTEN International NGOs and citizens’ organisations 10 meetings
  7. SOS Children's Villages NGOs and citizens’ organisations 10 meetings
  8. International Centre for Migration Policy Development Other organisations and public institutions 9 meetings
  9. Prewave Consultancies 9 meetings
  10. RHI MAGNESITA Companies 8 meetings

Source: EU transparency register and meetings of the European Commission with interest representatives (European Commission, reuse allowed with credit to the source). Amounts as reported by the organisations themselves.